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God's Words For US
by Cecelia Lester
A Litmus Test of Our Faith
Grace and Peace
“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ” 2Peter1:2 (NIV)
Grace, God’s unmerited love-or receiving something we don’t deserve. It comes to us as a gift when we ask Jesus into our hearts.
Peace, the presence and experience of a right relationship, a desire, a goal, and a gift from God. True peace belongs to those who turn away from their sin and ask the Father’s forgiveness.
Peter tells us we can have these gifts in abundance when we have an intimate relationship with God through His Son. I need to possess these qualities in my life as I write for Him and as I communicate with other people. I desire God’s help in the way I present myself especially when I face harsh circumstances not of my choosing.
Everything We Need
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and goodness through our knowledge of him who called us by his glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3(NIV)
Peter continues his thought. He tells us God has given us everything we need for living the life He wants us to have. He imparts these thoughts to us as we come to know Him as we spend time in prayer, meditation and Bible study.
As we learn of Him, we become energized by what He gives us. We witness His glory as we experience His goodness. It is my desire to be able to communicate this message to those who struggle with their faith. In order to do this, I have to stay close to Him and learn from Him every day.
His Great Promises
“Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through these you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
God gives us promises—eternal life, peace, and His presence in order that we may become godly and not get caught in the trappings of the secular life caused by selfishness, egotism. Vanity and pride.
We sometimes fall into the trap of “me”-isms—“What’s in it for me? What do I get out of it?” As followers of Christ we learn not to think of ourselves better than we are. We learn to live by the Golden Rule.
Make Every Effort
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness.” 2 Peter 2:5(NIV)
Our faith consists more than belief. The demons believed in the existence of Jesus. (see James 2:19) We are to live out what we believe. Because we know in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins, we attempt to live our lives without sinning. We study God’s words and apply the messages to our hearts.
When we take God’s message into our hearts and minds, we learn to maintain balance with what he expects from us. We also learn to continue our advancement on the path chosen for us no matter the stresses we encounter. As we walk with God, we become more like Him.
In Increasing Measure
“And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:7-8(NIV)
Brotherly kindness—we exercise it by greeting one another, sharing concerns and griefs. A practical aspect is praying for others, communicating gentle thoughts when another is in turmoil.
Love—we demonstrate the practice of patience and kindness especially during another’s time of grief or turmoil. Peter tells us of a positive aspect to possessing these qualities increase in our hearts. We will be more effective and productive in what we know of Jesus.
Make Your Calling Sure
“But if anyone does not have them, he is near-sighted and blind, and has forgotten he has been cleansed from past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fail.” 2 Peter 1:9-10 (NIV)
Peter has been speaking of the method of building ourselves up as we prepare to stand against false teachers and against persecution. All the qualities he spoke of keep us close to God. When we do not have them we become short-sighted, our vision gets distorted. We begin to stumble. We gradually become less like Jesus and more like the world. We need to strive to possess and exercise those qualities He gives to verify that we are called by, live for and work for God.
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Cecelia Lester has been serious about her writing for over two decades..
She composes Christian essays and posts them to her blog quietspirit-followingmyking.blogspot.com/
She has served in a faith-based organization, Grace In Action by writing two newsletters and searching for possible grants.
In July 2017, she published her first book, 'Times of Trouble Bring Rays of Joy.'
She and her husband of 54 years live in central Indiana. They have one grown son.
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